Winter snow deficit was a harbinger of summer 2022 socio-hydrologic drought in the Po Basin, Italy
Abstract Snow in mountainous regions is a key water resource from local to continental scales. However, the link between increasingly frequent snow droughts and socio-hydrologic impacts from headwaters to lowlands is not fully understood. To untangle this relationship, here we combine snow and clima...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-02-01
|
| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01222-z |
| _version_ | 1797273086113873920 |
|---|---|
| author | Francesco Avanzi Francesca Munerol Massimo Milelli Simone Gabellani Christian Massari Manuela Girotto Edoardo Cremonese Marta Galvagno Giulia Bruno Umberto Morra di Cella Lauro Rossi Marco Altamura Luca Ferraris |
| author_facet | Francesco Avanzi Francesca Munerol Massimo Milelli Simone Gabellani Christian Massari Manuela Girotto Edoardo Cremonese Marta Galvagno Giulia Bruno Umberto Morra di Cella Lauro Rossi Marco Altamura Luca Ferraris |
| author_sort | Francesco Avanzi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Snow in mountainous regions is a key water resource from local to continental scales. However, the link between increasingly frequent snow droughts and socio-hydrologic impacts from headwaters to lowlands is not fully understood. To untangle this relationship, here we combine snow and climate reanalyses with a range of data of terrestrial water storage, streamflow, and emergency water-use restrictions for the archetypal 2022 snow drought in the Po basin (Italy). We find that a persistent high-pressure ridge during winter 2021–2022 translated into a −88% anomaly in peak snow water equivalent, intraseasonal snowmelt, and earlier melt-out dates. Compounded by reduced summer precipitation and importantly increased temperatures, this snow deficit led to the lowest terrestrial water storage on record in summer 2022. Emergency water-use restrictions were concurrent with the peak in snowmelt deficit in early summer, rather than the peak in precipitation deficit in mid-winter. This study highlights the contribution of snowmelt deficit in driving the 2022 socio-hydrologic drought in the Po Basin. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:38:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-220c1ec4426f4c4184e8236c9ebdac53 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:38:33Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj.art-220c1ec4426f4c4184e8236c9ebdac532024-03-05T20:28:08ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352024-02-015111210.1038/s43247-024-01222-zWinter snow deficit was a harbinger of summer 2022 socio-hydrologic drought in the Po Basin, ItalyFrancesco Avanzi0Francesca Munerol1Massimo Milelli2Simone Gabellani3Christian Massari4Manuela Girotto5Edoardo Cremonese6Marta Galvagno7Giulia Bruno8Umberto Morra di Cella9Lauro Rossi10Marco Altamura11Luca Ferraris12CIMA Research FoundationCIMA Research FoundationCIMA Research FoundationCIMA Research FoundationNational Research Council (CNR), Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological ProtectionDepartment of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, BerkeleyCIMA Research FoundationClimate Change Unit, Environmental Protection Agency of Aosta ValleyLeibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland FisheriesCIMA Research FoundationCIMA Research FoundationCIMA Research FoundationCIMA Research FoundationAbstract Snow in mountainous regions is a key water resource from local to continental scales. However, the link between increasingly frequent snow droughts and socio-hydrologic impacts from headwaters to lowlands is not fully understood. To untangle this relationship, here we combine snow and climate reanalyses with a range of data of terrestrial water storage, streamflow, and emergency water-use restrictions for the archetypal 2022 snow drought in the Po basin (Italy). We find that a persistent high-pressure ridge during winter 2021–2022 translated into a −88% anomaly in peak snow water equivalent, intraseasonal snowmelt, and earlier melt-out dates. Compounded by reduced summer precipitation and importantly increased temperatures, this snow deficit led to the lowest terrestrial water storage on record in summer 2022. Emergency water-use restrictions were concurrent with the peak in snowmelt deficit in early summer, rather than the peak in precipitation deficit in mid-winter. This study highlights the contribution of snowmelt deficit in driving the 2022 socio-hydrologic drought in the Po Basin.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01222-z |
| spellingShingle | Francesco Avanzi Francesca Munerol Massimo Milelli Simone Gabellani Christian Massari Manuela Girotto Edoardo Cremonese Marta Galvagno Giulia Bruno Umberto Morra di Cella Lauro Rossi Marco Altamura Luca Ferraris Winter snow deficit was a harbinger of summer 2022 socio-hydrologic drought in the Po Basin, Italy Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Winter snow deficit was a harbinger of summer 2022 socio-hydrologic drought in the Po Basin, Italy |
| title_full | Winter snow deficit was a harbinger of summer 2022 socio-hydrologic drought in the Po Basin, Italy |
| title_fullStr | Winter snow deficit was a harbinger of summer 2022 socio-hydrologic drought in the Po Basin, Italy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Winter snow deficit was a harbinger of summer 2022 socio-hydrologic drought in the Po Basin, Italy |
| title_short | Winter snow deficit was a harbinger of summer 2022 socio-hydrologic drought in the Po Basin, Italy |
| title_sort | winter snow deficit was a harbinger of summer 2022 socio hydrologic drought in the po basin italy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01222-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT francescoavanzi wintersnowdeficitwasaharbingerofsummer2022sociohydrologicdroughtinthepobasinitaly AT francescamunerol wintersnowdeficitwasaharbingerofsummer2022sociohydrologicdroughtinthepobasinitaly AT massimomilelli wintersnowdeficitwasaharbingerofsummer2022sociohydrologicdroughtinthepobasinitaly AT simonegabellani wintersnowdeficitwasaharbingerofsummer2022sociohydrologicdroughtinthepobasinitaly AT christianmassari wintersnowdeficitwasaharbingerofsummer2022sociohydrologicdroughtinthepobasinitaly AT manuelagirotto wintersnowdeficitwasaharbingerofsummer2022sociohydrologicdroughtinthepobasinitaly AT edoardocremonese wintersnowdeficitwasaharbingerofsummer2022sociohydrologicdroughtinthepobasinitaly AT martagalvagno wintersnowdeficitwasaharbingerofsummer2022sociohydrologicdroughtinthepobasinitaly AT giuliabruno wintersnowdeficitwasaharbingerofsummer2022sociohydrologicdroughtinthepobasinitaly AT umbertomorradicella wintersnowdeficitwasaharbingerofsummer2022sociohydrologicdroughtinthepobasinitaly AT laurorossi wintersnowdeficitwasaharbingerofsummer2022sociohydrologicdroughtinthepobasinitaly AT marcoaltamura wintersnowdeficitwasaharbingerofsummer2022sociohydrologicdroughtinthepobasinitaly AT lucaferraris wintersnowdeficitwasaharbingerofsummer2022sociohydrologicdroughtinthepobasinitaly |